Tao of Rodney is episode 14 of season 3 of Stargate Atlantis, first aired in 2006.
A lab accident activates an Ancient evolution device on McKay: telekinesis, telepathy, super intelligence, Rodney becomes a little more than human every hour... and every hour a little closer to death, because his body won't keep up. The only way out is Ascension, which demands the one thing McKay has never been able to do: let go.
Why it matters to the mythology
A standalone episode: the mechanics of Ascension dissected on the least Zen test subject in the galaxy, and a McKay transformed for good in the eyes of his friends.
The review
McKay's great episode of humanity: his superpowers first serve the comedy, awkward mind reading included, then the inventory of a life, Rodney repairing his relationships one by one before the deadline, gifts, confessions and apologies included. The final scene with Sheppard, a desperate meditation on an infirmary bed, blends laughter and tears with rare precision. David Hewlett confirms he is the series' secret heart. Devastating.
Written by Sebastian
Founder and editor-in-chief of Stargate Initiative
Gallery · 2
Stills from the episode, via TMDb.
The community watches the episode
Creators watch it, react to it, break it down. We're just the bridge: the views stay on their channels.
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